Learning and Development Technology Trends

We all have unique learning styles and access information in different ways. For example, a lot of kids like to learn by watching the videos here on kid’s learning Youtube channels. But have you noticed how some people love to read a book while others are much happier listening to an audiobook because it suits their lifestyle and how the process information?

Despite knowing this, nearly every course we attend still somehow involves one teaching via one method, and yet we wonder why not everyone in a room will be at the same level when they leave. There are no longer excuses for this when even the phone in our pocket is capable of providing a recording of an audio podcast, video, written document or even a video conference call to shake things up a little. If this is something that you struggle with, then why don’t you take a look at these video conferencing solutions to help you or even take a look on google to find a solution if you have a problem with something else.

I am often asked about how learning and development can be improved and the challenges faced within the industry and one of the biggest learning curves is the growing need for the personalization of just about everything. Rather than addressing requirements or needs of a group, we should be looking at individuals, and this is where the progress is made.

The quest for a better work-life balance and healthier lifestyle now so many people looking online and to technology to see how they can continuously improve or achieve their goals and for these reasons alone I think that 2016 will be a revolutionary year for anyone working in the learning and development industry. There are many different courses online, so for example if you just want to improve your written and spoken English then you could just look up something like this effortless english site.

Every student will need to work at a different pace and will have unique interests so rather than adopting a one size fits all approach, it’s time to adjust content based on a student’s unique learning path and response to multimedia such as text, video, audio, and images.

This is just one of the reasons behind the success of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the fact it challenges old learning methodologies and knowledge management and evolved into a modern “blended” style to deliver the best of both worlds with online learning and in-person education.

There is also a bright future for mobilized e-learning and equally challenges for those that do not invest in mobile applications and modules during this digital transition. Any problem that requires a solution will usually be followed by reaching for your smartphone in your pocket if we can fix a toaster from a how-to guide on You-Tube then why can’t we learn from an online course that allows us to pick up where we left off like we do on Netflix.

Gamification is also becoming an essential factor for engagement and the encouragement of employees or students in a course. It still surprises me how simple leaderboards or any achievement based system unlocks a competitive streak in people and makes them want to learn and do better but finish top of the leaderboard and get a shiny virtual badge.

On the horizon is virtual reality, the immersive power of this technology has the potential to be a massive game changer. Realistically, we are probably a few years away from seeing the real potential and benefits it can offer, but definitely, one to keep a very close eye one.

Online and mobile learning will never completely replace face to face education but we can expect all these learning methods to merge into a blended form of learning to provide the personalized teaching that is required to the modern digital audience.